Sen. David Valesky gets committee assignments, but no stipend

Syracuse, NY - State Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, who earlier this month broke ranks with other Senate Democrats, got his committee assignments over the weekend: Agriculture; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation; Banks; and Transportation.

Valesky and the three other downstate members of the Independent Democratic Conference received their assignments two weeks later than the state’s 58 other senators, who remain members of the traditional Republican and Democratic conferences. Sen. John Sampson, the Senate minority leader, made the appointments.

Valesky has been on all four committees previously, according to his staff.

The assignments do not include any stipends that come with leadership positions. Last year, when the Democrats held the majority of the Senate, Valesky rose to third-ranking member as vice president and took home an extra $34,000 a year in addition to his salary of $79,500.